The outbreak on the cruise ship

Crisis plan on virus ship – no one allowed to disembark

The cruise ship MV Hondius has been quarantined off Cape Verde after a hantavirus outbreak on board, local newspaper A Nacao reports. Three people have died and several are being treated for suspected symptoms – but are not allowed to leave the ship.

To protect the local population, no passengers are allowed to disembark, according to the authorities. According to ship tracking sites, the ship has been stationary outside the port of the capital Praia for at least a day.

In a letter to passengers, which the Daily Mail has seen, the cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions states that it is working with the authorities to ensure that people in need of emergency care have access to hospitals. At the same time, everyone on board is urged to wear face masks, keep their distance and minimize contact.

Hantavirus is mainly spread from rodents via feces, saliva or urine and can cause serious respiratory illness. In rare cases, it can be transmitted between people. The incubation period is one to eight weeks, which means that more cases may be added, according to a microbiologist the BBC spoke to.

Suspected hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship – three dead

Three people have died and three more have fallen ill in a suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship, the World Health Organization (WHO) says, according to AP. At present, the virus has been confirmed in one of the dead.

According to South African media, it is a Dutch ship that was en route between Argentina and Cape Verde, where it arrived on Saturday. One of the sick is receiving intensive care in South Africa and the WHO says it is working with local authorities to evacuate the other two.

Hantavirus comes in several different varieties and can be spread to humans via rodents. According to the Swedish Public Health Agency, it can cause everything from asymptomatic infections to hemorrhagic fever and acute respiratory syndrome.